Cranford Review 2021

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#FIRST STORYSummer2020-2021seemed very far away when we began our First Story sessions at Cranford CommunityCollege. We joined a Teams call in January 2021, in the middle of a deep lockdown,dealing with technological difficulties from a variety of different houses. In these dark afternoons, writing wasperhaps a particularly useful escape and students travelled backwards and forwards in time as we wrote aboutspring and summer, remembering or anticipating the smell of barbecues or the sounds of bouncing basketballsor the feel of a bike ride in a park on a breezy day. Much had changed by our final session a couple of monthslater. Restrictions had eased enough so that students could return to school and I could appear in person insteadof as a discombobulated head projected onto a whiteboard. The weather even co-operated so that one of ourlater sessions could take place outside in the school grounds. As well as the welcome move towards summerin tone and temperature, it was great to see how the students had developed as writers over the eight sessions,despite some of the challenges that the pandemic created. This anthology showcases some of the work that theywere able to produce under difficult circumstances and is a great testament to their tenacity and commitment.The first section of this anthology, ‘Perspectives’, explores how this group of writers see the world and areseen by others. From powerful provocations about prejudiced gazes to more playful explorations about whichcreatures are appreciated, these pieces pose questions to the wider world and demonstrate the power of writingto engage with social justice.The second section, ‘Memories’, explores a range of different moments from the writers’ lives, from heroicclimbs up hills to tense missions to detonate virtual bombs. Relationships are at the heart of this section, withpieces showing the intense intimacy that can define encounters with other people – from the joy of spendingtime with friends and family to the jagged feelings left after a break-up.Intense emotions also drive the final section, ‘Definitions’, which brings together some of the students’explorations of ideas. Among the nouns that are under their magnifying glasses are ‘spring’ and ‘summer’,with a variety of details and feelings evoked by these seasons. Other pieces here build on exercises wedid to imagine abstract nouns throughconcrete imagery, with some delightfulanalogies emerging to showcase thewriters’ imaginations.This collection wouldn’t be possiblewithout the generous support of staffat First Story and Cranford CommunityCollege. We owe huge thanks to EmmaLeahy, Jay Bhadricha, CharlottePrendergast, and all the tremendouslysupportive and enthusiastic First Storyteam. Staff at Cranford College havealso been supportive and flexible inthis challenging year, and AislingMcConville and Robert Ind havebeen brilliant at ensuring the smoothcontinuation of the programme.As the lead teacher working on theprogramme, Conor Campbell hasoffered extraordinary levels of support,deftly navigating any technologicaland logistical hurdles and alwaysbeing willing to share words ofencouragement and his own writingwith the students; we couldn’t haveasked for a better teacher to guide usthrough this year.Writing is often presented to young people as a form of escape. Manyof our young authors were glad to take it as just so and have producedsome wonderful and evocative works, pointing towards past meetingsand future hangouts (restrictions permitting!). As Darragh rightlypoints out in his introduction this year the opportunity to escapewas more valuable than ever. But as you consider the perspectivespresented in this volume, I hope you will also note how our studentshere at Cranford Community College have approached serious andpersonal topics, expressing themselves and their identities with adeftness and confidence many professional authors would envy.This volume as a whole speaks to the ethos of Cranford CommunityCollege: being optimistic and positive while also encouraging ourstudents to engage with and explore the larger issues in the worldaround them. You will, I trust, find the pieces as interesting to readas they were to encourage.The challenges of the ongoing pandemic have affected all of us, butthankfully they have not affected the brilliance and generosity of thestaff at First Story. Emma Leahy has been fantastic in organizing allaspects of the volume’s administration, while the students could nothave hoped for an author better suited to meeting the challenges ofthe pandemic than Darragh Martin. The energy he brought to theonline meetings ensured the students pushed through the additionalafter-school screen time, and his diligence and thoroughness in hisfeedback has helped shape the students’ work into the compellingwriting you will find in this volume.But Darragh and I could only encourage, and ultimately the workspeaks primarily to the inspiration and talent of the students whotook part. This book is their canvas – enjoy their work.Conor Campbell (First Story Lead)72
Cover design by First StoryFIRST STORYOne of the pieces in the final section likens happiness to music on a rainy day and I hope that this collectioncan bring music of a different kind to what has been a rather rainy year so far. The summer activities mentionedin this book should become possible again and, hopefully, these adventures will also include more writingfrom this brilliant group.#Darragh Martin (Writer-in-Residence)Pigeons Talk BackMessage to My HairOur Canvas is an anthology of new writing by the First Storystudents at Cranford Community College who took partin creative-writing workshops led by Writer-in-ResidenceDarragh Martin. First Story believes there is dignity andpower in every person’s story, and here you’ll find youngpeople expressing themselves in their own unique voices.The questions you ask are annoying.Long strands of messiness Featuring writing by: make meAbdulrahim Awal•Arnav Mehta•Azhar AbdiBlue•Brian Basaj•Hamail Afzaltired.Harshika Sarna•Iman Kabanda•Maria FerreiraNancy Harkous•Nihal Kang•Prashin KumarSamira Cali•Waa’il Ali•Zahra SarwarTangling feelings stress me out.Uncomfortable pigments of reddisappoint.Every day, knots twist me up.Why make me feel uncomfortable?What happens next?Do I cut you off?Hamail Afzal (year 10)Spring Snapshot‘First Story is a very exciting idea –writing can liberate and strengthenyoung people’s sense of themselvesas almost nothing else can.’PHILIP PULLMANAuthor of His Dark Materialswww.firststory.org.uk £10.00Our CanvasThe First Story Group at Cranford Community CollegeOUR CANVASAn Anthology by the First Story Group atCRANFORDCOMMUNITY COLLEGEEdited byDARRAGH MARTINOur Canvas is an anthology of new writing by the First Storystudents at Cranford Community College who took partin creative-writing workshops led by Writer-in-ResidenceDarragh Martin. First Story believes there is dignity andpower in every person’s story, and here you’ll find youngpeople expressing themselves in their own unique voices.Featuring writing by:Spring smells like fresh chickenand chips,And the burning of barbecues.Spring feels like a cool bath,Or the uprising of a solarsystem,After a cold supernovadegraded our souls.In the park, young girls andboys avoid each other likecriticism,As a newlywed couple stare at a blue sky.The beating of a basketball and the striking of nets,Almost reminds me of a perfectly ordered orchestra.Prince and Michael Jackson play,While parents reminisce about a ‘perfect’ 90schildhood.Spring is just a favourable time.Abdulrahim Awal•Arnav Mehta•Azhar AbdiBlue•Brian Basaj•Hamail AfzalHarshika Sarna•Iman Kabanda•Maria FerreiraNancy Harkous•Nihal Kang•Prashin KumarSamira Cali•Waa’il Ali•Zahra Sarwar‘First Story is a very exciting idea –writing can liberate and strengthenyoung people’s sense of themselvesas almost nothing else can.’PHILIP PULLMANAuthor of His Dark MaterialsCover design by First Storywww.firststory.org.uk £10.00Hello there, young lad,It’s me, the Pigeon, the spectacularBogeyman!Now listen, I promise I won’t be mad,And with the rest of my tragically shortlifespan,I’d like to know why exactlyYou humans treat us like trash!You shun us,You poison us,You laugh when we’re in pain,You shoot us all the time,And don’t give us the time of day!Now I’ve stopped to wonder,To think, reflect and ponder,What exactly have we doneTo be bullied by everyone?!We clean up all your gutters!We clean up all your streets!We keep away the dirty rats!And eat up all the bugs!Yet, for some unknown reason,We’re hated, shunned and beaten.All we wish for is to be loved…To be treated with kindness andrespect,like you do to thenoble dove.Why must OUR you CANVAS humans always disgraceThose who differ from what you viewAn Anthology by the First Story Group atas okay?CRANFORDSurely,COMMUNITYthis isn’tCOLLEGEthe way things should be,A world of hatred and separation,Our CanvasThe First Story Group at Cranford Community CollegeEdited byWhere man goes against man,DARRAGH MARTINPigeon goes against pigeon,A world of pain and segregation.Surely, aren’t we both meant to be free?So please, humans,Stop killing us for your twisted amusement!But wait, do not despair,For there is, of course, a silver lining.All you have to doIs feed us, like the old men and ladies!Then, there is a small chance,we may forgive you.Made by the Pigeon Gang,keeping it real since 1983.Waa’il Ali (year 10)Abdulrahman Awal (year 10)73
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A LEVEL RESULTS 2021Superb A Level
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Cranford’scontinuedsuccesswithOxb
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SIXTH FORM #has helped me obtain an
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Student Testimonials - Lockdown Sto
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Sixth Form TripWinton Gallery / the
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SCIENCE#including urban areas and c
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